Saturday, May 17, 2008

You can't say you are there to protect if you can't respect. We have a problem with demonizing people and religions that differ than ours. I respect our soldiers but not all soldiers deserve that respect. Here is an example of one who doesn't.

via CNN:

U.S. soldier uses Quran for target practice; military apologizes

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military on Saturday formally apologized to an Iraqi village after a soldier admitted using the Quran -- Islam's holy book -- for target practice.

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Hammond, commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, apologized to the Radhwaniya tribe for the staff sergeant, who was a sniper section leader assigned to the headquarters of the 64th Armored Regiment. He also read a letter of apology by the shooter.

"I come before you here seeking your forgiveness," Hammand said to tribal leaders and others at the apology ceremony. "In the most humble manner I look in your eyes today and I say please forgive me and my soldiers."

Another military official kissed a Quran and presented it as "a humble gift" to the tribal leaders.

The shooter, whose name was not released, shot at a Quran on May 9, villagers said. The Quran used in the incident was discovered two days later, according to the military.

A tribal leader said "the criminal act by U.S. forces" took place at a shooting range at the Radhwaniya police station. After the shooters left, an Iraqi policeman found a target marked in the middle of the bullet-riddled Quran.

Copies of the pictures of the Quran obtained by CNN show multiple bullet holes and an expletive scrawled on one of its pages.

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comments:

Amazing isn't it. How other countries can burn our flag - desecrate it... or even drag our soldiers through the streets after shooting down their helicopter. Our own country is in a battle to remove traces of the Bible from public buildings - only in the midwest do judges have the decency to stem the tide and stand up to the liberals and say it deserves to stay. Yet we shoot a book and we have military leaders kissing it to show we're sorry? The Saudi's who were so worried after 9/11 that they spent 40 million dollars right away to manage their 'image' with the American people (perhaps a guilty conscience?) but when President Bush asks them to put out a little more oil, they snub him????

Our soldiers are asked to put their lives on the line to protect a people who don't respect our values - our own Holy Book - you think the stress of that doesn't spill over just a little bit?

So you're saying that WE demonize religions different than ours after having suffered an attacks from Muslims because our religion differed from theirs?? I'm sick of religious apologists, regardless of their crutch of choice. If they're killing in the name of god - ANY god - they're feeble-minded freaks.

What is acceptable? Stoning of homosexuals and adultresses? Teaching children to be suicide bombers? Cutting off heads on PBS live? Whipping women for driving automobiles? Those were Muslim mortars that killed those children. Why is that acceptable?

I stand by what I say it is unacceptable. Unacceptable is unacceptable no matter what religion.

Using any religion's holy book as target practice is unacceptable. How does it help one achieve their objective? If you have hatred for a group of people you may not be the best choice to "protect" them.